Page 13 of Harvey

It was difficult to comprehend that she was a twenty-eight-year-old virgin, but she had been brought up in a sheltered home with parents who had been strict regarding sexuality. Her mother had quietly but firmly encouraged her to wait for the right person.

“Honey, I waited for your father and never regretted that decision. I want you to hold out for that man who will love you with God's love.

I am hoping it will be someone spiritual. You are such a sweet and wonderful human being, and I am praying for the best for you. We want you to wait for a man who will respect your decision to wait until he puts a ring on your finger.”

Of course, she had taken it to heart; even in college, she had not been really tempted. After her parents’ accident, she had been too overwrought to think of getting involved, and even after the years had passed, there was still an emptiness inside her that refused to be filled.

She wanted a church wedding with all the frills: a beautiful white dress with a veil covering her face and many flowers. After all, she was a florist, so it was fitting that she would want the chapel decorated with all sorts.

The only hitch was that her parents would never be there to see her pledge her life to the man she loved. But they would be looking down at her from heaven. That had to be enough.

Shaking off the morbid feeling and discontent, she approached the customer, waiting for help selecting a bouquet.

*****

“Darling, if I didn’t know any better, I would think your interest waned.” Marcia pouted as she picked up her wine.

“But you do know better.” He told her lightly.

He had been somewhat excited about getting out and coming to the restaurant for the date, but the restlessness had returned as soon as they finished the main course. Damn, Silas and his stupid favor.

“You are distracted.”

“I am afraid so.” He smiled at her lazily, eyes wandering over the lushness of breasts partially exposed because of the deep vee of her dress. He enjoyed her; they had been seeing each other for two months. The sex was passionate enough, and he especially liked the fact that she did not expect him to take her home to meet the family.

Nor did she dwell on how much money he had and who he was. She was a commercial model and would leave town in a few weeks. He was going to take her back to his place and try and lose himself in her beautiful body. But he was not in the mood. Damn, Silas, he mentally cursed his brother for his lack of attention.

“Is it work?”

“I wish.” Picking up the bottle of wine, he poured some more into both glasses. “Where are you headed to this time?”

“The Bahamas and then Costa Rica.” She gave him a blinding smile. “I have never been. Have you?”

“Yes.” He murmured without embellishing. As part of his growing up, that had been a requirement. According to their parents, he and Silas traveled the world to experience diverse cultures.

“You traveled quite a bit, haven’t you?”

“A bit.” What he hated most was talking about himself, and he quickly diverted the conversation and asked about her assignment. That did the trick. For the next hour, he had her talking about the upcoming trip.

*****

Silas sat behind his desk and closed his Bible slowly after making the place he had been focusing on. He was pleased with the day’s result. At first, he was nervous about everything, but it went off without a hitch. He must thank Harvey again for going above and beyond and sacrificing.

He would get his favorite scotch or a new pair of boxing gloves. Picking up his pen, he tapped it on the desk and recalled how Harvey had taught him to fight.

“People will give you hell and think you are a pushover. You have to learn to defend yourself.”

Pushing away from the desk, he wandered over to the window. Night had descended quickly, and the sky looked gray, indicating rain. Lunch had been delightful, and he was happy; he had persuaded Kendra to dine with him.

He should have asked her out, but he feared rejection. He had focused so much on his calling that he had not made time for the opposite sex. He was not a virgin, of course, because with a brother like Harvey, which would not have been allowed.

But ever since he had decided to become a minister of religion, he had stayed away from that sort of thing. Harvey had given him that look that told him he was out of his mind, but he had ignored it.

“Getting laid is as natural as breathing. If that is not a regular part of life, something tends to happen to the body.”

“Something like what?”

“How the hell should I know? I am not the one not getting any.”

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